Checkmate
by Thundercatroar
Summary: An argument, or is it?


Captain Planet and the Planeteers was created by Ted Turner, and is owned now, presumably, by Warner Brothers Inc. It ain't mine, and no infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

Transformers and the character names _Optimus Prime_, _Bumblebee_, and _Megatron_ are the property of Hasbro Inc. and Takara Tomy Ltd. of Japan. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

The Transformers 2007 movie, wherein lies the character Michaela Banes, was filmed Paramount Pictures, which in turn is owned by Viacom Inc. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

Alexander Pushkin wrote the poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila" in 1820. I don't know who owns it now, but I don't, I hope that suffices as disclaimer enough.

Rated **T **for _hopelessly _incorrect foul language

* * *

><p>Checkmate<p>

As she studied his facial expressions, Linka contemplated the highly competitive nature of her opponent. Wheeler _hated _to lose, so for the life of her she could not understand why he still repeatedly opened his ego up for a regular bruising at her hands.

At the beginning, even though Linka couldn't prove her teammate's motivations in her mind, she _did_ suspect, and in her heart of hearts, she _had_ wished that was really the reason why he had asked her to teach him.

At any rate, they had been playing together off and on for months, and when she and her fellow Planeteers were not off battling some new menace, or doing routine maintenance on the island, in her spare time, it seemed that more often than not, Linka was teaching Wheeler how to play chess.

In fact, he seemed so determined to learn, Wheeler had gone as far as to buy his _own_ chess set for them to practice with in his own hut, which Linka thought was cute, even though his non-traditional choice in a board was, in her opinion, rather tacky.

At first, instructing the American in the moves, and subtle nuances of the game was like teaching Suchi how to conjugate English verbs, but with time, he _had_ gotten much better, in fact, Linka figured that it would not be long, five years at the worst, until Wheeler _actually_ stood a chance at besting her in a match.

Despite this, in his most endearing braggadocio, before they set forth into battle against one another that afternoon, the headstrong American would promise, like he _always_ did, that _**that**_ day would be the day he would _finally_ defeat her.

Unfortunately, this day, like all the others, proved to be a forgone conclusion, and his defeat was once again imminent. Despite the friendly nature of their matches, and the fact that he appreciated the time he got to spend with _his_ beautiful russkie, Wheeler tried to hide it, but it _did _frustrate him when he lost in front of the others.

This time however, to Linka's complete and total surprise, for the past twenty minutes, Wheeler had actually utilized a small amount of logic, and as a result, they had both been performing a seemingly endless waltz across the red and black squares of his Transformers chessboard that he insisted they use for this game.

But, despite the fact that Wheeler got frustrated from time to time, and his defeats could no longer be easily counted, her Yankee _never_ gave up, and heaven help her, it make Linka love him even more if such a thing were possible.

With a grin directed towards him, she would never _ever_ admit to it, though.

Feeling generous, and seeking to help him save face in front of the others, the kindhearted master gave credit to her student where she felt it was due, "You played so well this time, Wheeler, but," As per the rules of the civil game, Linka was beholden to give fair warning, "Check, Yankee." With a point of her finger at her king, Linka demonstrated, "Ugly gun man has Optimoose Prime in the corner, da?" With a cocked eyebrow, Linka knew the answer before she even asked, "Do you resign?"

Wheeler rolled his eyes, pointed at his opponent's piece, and pronounced its name to Linka as he might to a hearing-impaired cave dweller, "That character's name is _Meg-__**a**_-tron!" He then further informed with frustration, "And it's _Optimus _Prime, Linka, we've seen that movie a thousand times, it looks like to me you'd get _that _right at least!"

Linka pursed her lips, "It is a grand wonder of the world that you would know the names of the robots _yourself_, as you keep rewinding to the Michael bending over the engine of Brumbledee scene to check under his hood over and over again!"

Wheeler corrected, "It's _Michaela_ and **Bumblebee**, Linka." Moreover, as he studied his position on the board looking for avenues of escape, ultimately, Wheeler found that once again, to use an extremely expert, and complicated chess term, he was completely and totally screwed.

He wasn't about to admit it though, he just needed a clever way out of the agony of defeat.

Gi, who was enjoying a piece of cake while watching the discourse between the two, rose from her seat beside Ma-Ti, and stepped over to the small, two seat table the couple was seated at and studied the board behind Wheeler's shoulder.

"So, do you give it up, Yankee?" Linka asked with a more than interesting smile while looking into his handsome blue eyes.

Wheeler's eyebrows rose, and he didn't either correct his friend for what he optimistically called in his mind a mild double entendre, or look at his other fellow Planeteers to see if they had taken it as such either. Making a dismissive hand gesture, Wheeler defiantly answered, "Don't get all excited _yet_, Lyudmila, I may still have a killing move left."

"Desperation move is more like it, _Ruslan_." Knowing she had him cornered, Linka smirked. "Take your time."

Trying to ignore how damned sexy that mischievous expression on her lips truly was, Wheeler studied his options slowly, but seeing he had none left; and sensing a presence behind him, he turned his head to the side in slight annoyance as Gi pushed another bite of cake into her mouth. After a few moments, he asked with mild irritation, "You gettin' all this?"

Gi was going to deign sympathy for Wheeler, but after _that _remark, the playfully fickle girl switched allegiances to Linka's side, and gently poked her fork into her friend's naked forearm. "If you were a roast, I'd say you're _done_, Hotshot."

The outnumbered young man rubbed his barely tingling flesh, and spat, "Hey! Watch that!"

Wheeler's eyes took on a sinister squint as he trained them on Gi as she spoke again, "Anyway, I'm with Linka, _Yankee_," Linka looked at her female friend with a smile, "I _would_ give it up if I were you."

The defiant boy picked up his threatened piece and moved it one square over. With a great deal of satisfaction, that he had avoided Linka's bishop, and had moved his king out of danger for the moment, the cocky American flirted, "See what you can do for _that_, Kasparov!"

With a haughty satisfaction, Linka nodded respect to Gi, and said, "Thank you, Gi, and Wheeler?"

"Da?" He responded sarcastically.

Linka grinned, and flirted once again with Wheeler's King, "Check."

He knew he had no moves left, but studying the board with a fool's hope, and seeing that he didn't have one in hell, Wheeler said with real frustration at yet _another_ loss, "_Dermo_!"

"Wheeler!" Linka answered in shock, but with a smile, "The first _real_ word in Russian I have ever heard you say, and it must be a _dirty_ one!"

Seeing Linka's genuine shock, impressed either that he had _actually_ learned some of her native tongue, or that it was foul in nature, Wheeler sought to capitalize on the fact, thinking to outwit his opponent, and keep from actually having to admit to another defeat.

Cleverly, Wheeler placed his hand on his chin, rose from his seat, and hoped to distract the girl he loved. With a Cheshire grin, and a slip of his arm around her shoulders, Wheeler winked, "You know, Linka, I think I'd pay good money to hear you use a bad word, just _once_."

Answering with a roll of her eyes, and a forceful rejection of his physical contact, Linka sighed, "Why would you wish to hear something so unintelligent and foolish?" With a righteous tone, Linka nodded, "Inarticulate language is an indicator of low intelligence, Yankee."

She would not be so low as to seek to hurt his feelings with a false questioning of his mental aptitude, but cutting him to the bone with a look, Linka argued, "And for your information, I _do_ know all of your swear words, every last one!" The boy guffawed as everyone shared looks and braced for the coming debacle. "I simply choose to not use them." She nodded at Wheeler, "Using unbecoming language and peppering one's sentences with _filth_ is _not_ necessary to get a point across."

"It's more fun, though, and you know, Blondie, your own _Tolstoy_ was a gutter mouth." He excitedly admitted, "I _love_ his stuff!" Wheeler guffawed at Linka's expression as he added, "Anyway, if it's all the same to you, Ice Princess, I'd still just _really_ love to hear you say something breathtakingly bad, just to see if you're capable!" He flirted knowingly, "It means that even _you_ are corruptible."

Linka crossed her arms, and at first glance, to Wheeler, it resembled the old symbol of the Soviet flag and its crossed hammer and sickle as she tried as hard as she could to not give in to him, "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction, Yankee pest!"

Having Linka _exactly_ where he wanted her, Wheeler added a lit match to her pile of petroleum soaked wood.

If his next nudge didn't piss her off and get her obliviously cranked up, _nothing_ would.

With a cheeky questioning of her studious nature, he foolishly ended, "Hah! Nice try, Rooskie Tootskie, but for all your smarts, I just think you never _learned_ any of 'em!"

"I do **_so_** know all of your bad words, Yankee, and furthermore I will _prove_ it!" To Wheeler's perverted delight, and _almost_ everyone else's general shock, Linka's nostrils flared, and she raised her right hand.

As she did, the misinformed Russian began to count the foul words she was completely educated on one by one with self-righteous venom.

"I know your damn," She struggled to think of something that wasn't too shocking, "And _doo doo_,"

Wheeler snorted, "Doo doo?"

With authority, Linka spat, "And _hell_ as well!"

Wheeler chortled, "Yeah, I _know_ you **definitely** know _that_ one, because you give it to me for free everyday!"

"Oh, da?" Linka challenged haughtily with a wicked smile, "Well, there's plenty more where _that_ came from!"

Wheeler wondered if he should find Linka even _more_ attractive when her ire was piqued. "Man, oh, man, I _really_ hope so!"

Linka's face flushed, and Kwame's eyes widened, he wondered if the Russian was going to slug the American square in the face, but instead of interfering, he simply raised the magazine he was reading up into his face and tried to ignore the spectacle while shaking his head.

Being the steward of fire, and not quite satisfied with the inferno he had created, Wheeler knew that being argued with when she thought she was right, _really_ got Linka's goat, so he goaded her with, "Besides, Hell's a place in the in the bible, Linka, so it's not really _technically_ a bad word."

Not to be outdone, his blustery counterpart actually _looked _angry as she pointed her index finger in his face. "It _is_ when you are telling someone to _go_ there, like a cab driver that turns off his light in middle of a bad section of Brooklyn, and does not stop for you when it is raining!"

Wheeler was shocked that Linka had it in her to fight so dirty, and had it been any other time he would have been proud of his influence, but instead he caged his fingers over his eyes when he heard a satisfied sounding voice from behind him declare, _"Reeeeeeealllyyyyyy?_ I don't remember anything like _that_ happening when I was out with the two of you on a mission." The trendy de facto Hope Island matchmaker and gossip looked at Ma-Ti and Kwame, "Do either one of you?"

Kwame pretended be occupied with his reading, but Ma-Ti simply shook his head, and handed Suchi something round, purple, and juicy to eat. "I am going to wisely stay out of this one."

When she received no response from either Linka or Wheeler, but noticed their shared and rather worried looking glances directed towards one another, with prurient interest she added, "So, _when _did _this_ romantic little escapade occur?"

Too surprised by her _own _accidental admission to deny it happened, and struggling to think of a way to weasel out of the subject, Linka's blush turned redder, and she shrugged an apology to Wheeler, because she had _really_ slipped up.

_No one _was supposed to know about _that_ secret little adventure, or any of the little continuances. Linka was almost sure Wheeler would have let it slip eventually, but it was _she_ who had just outed them, and as she looked at the boy who loved her, and his surprising smile, she knew he'd _never_ let her live _this_ down.

Linka put her hand on her forehead while glancing at a smirking Gi, just knowing that she wouldn't be satisfied until she had tweezed every detail about the hellish trip turned to heaven in New York out of her.

In turn, fondly remembering that grandly infuriating night in New York that had turned out so very, _very_ right, Wheeler laughed at the girl he was enamored with, as she continued her entertaining rant.

Linka informed her sparring partner, "Furthermore, I _also_ know your childish little American hand gesture that you also use to communicate with your fellow New Yorkers too!" With that, Linka balled her left hand, leaving only her pinky finger exposed, and waved it in front of the redhead's face. "Is the correct finger, da?"

"Planeteers," Gaia materialized in the middle the room to speak, but her eyes widened with the next item on Linka's list.

Linka stepped closer to her adversary with a feral glint in her eye, and poked Wheeler in the chest with her pointed index finger thinking she had come up with a real clincher, and something so shocking, not even Wheeler could retort, "I _also_ know all about the sucking of the cook that I heard in that movie that time!"

Gi pointed at Wheeler and cautioned quite seriously, "Don't you dare!"

Gaia waved her hand dismissively before de-materializing, "It's not really that important."

Gi glowered at Wheeler, daring him to voice one of the many comebacks that danced on his mischievous tongue, as Ma-Ti fell off the couch onto the floor on his side.

In turn, Wheeler, who was unable to stand any longer and laughing so hard he could have easily wet himself, fell back into the seat of his rickety chair, and explained brokenly, "No, Linka, it's,"

"**NO**!" Kwame shouted with horror as he rolled the magazine he had been hiding behind up, and swatted Ma-Ti with it on the shoulder lightly before pointing it towards brash American, "**Don't** correct her!"

Now, laughing helplessly herself, and almost unable to draw breath into her body, Gi managed to mutter, "Dang, Girl!" before throwing herself back down into her original seat beside a speechless Kwame, both chortling, and slapping his half-naked thigh repeatedly.

Kwame looked at Gi and Ma-Ti, "I am glad that _you two _think this little ritual is so funny, but I for one do not! Every game they play together turns into a silly fight, and this one is the absolute limit."

Ma-Ti quit laughing, and actually looked ashamed, "You're right."

Gi added, at least trying to act as if she was going to be serious, "You're right, Kwame, it's not funny."

The red faced Asian gave Ma-Ti a glance, and his supposedly shamed countenance crumbled into a wide grin as he added, "No, not funny at all," Then his voice cracked in humor, "It is _hilarious_!"

Gi cleverly muttered behind her hand to the bearer of heart, "_Foreplay_."

He covered his mouth with his hand hoping to hide it, but with Ma-Ti's knowing snicker, Wheeler quit laughing, Linka stopped swearing badly, and both chose to glare at their friends instead of one another.

Forgetting the word salad of insanity that had been belched from her mouth for the past few minutes, Linka's attention once again turned to the unfinished business on the battlefield of red and black squares, "And do not think you are so clever as to distract me to the point in which I was not aware of your intent, Yankee!" Linka daintily picked up her king, then knocked over Wheeler's last remaining piece. "Check_mate_, Jack in the ass!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Kwame finally snorted, and satisfied at that, Linka turned to leave, but Wheeler shamelessly flirted, "I'd be happy to fix _your_ flat _**any **_day, Babe!"

As the others groaned at another one of the boy's atypical come on lines and knowing that by now, that they were caught and there was no need to feign distate in him any longer, Linka grabbed Wheeler by the collar of his red shirt and dragged him out of the common room. "You just _had _to ruin the game didn't you? Now everyone knows about us."

Everyone left behind shared a look as Wheeler's fading voice answered, "_You're_ the one who spilled the beans about the…"

Gi said to the others with humor, "Wait for it."

In the distance, light contact could be heard, and Wheeler's loud, "**OW**!" explained it all.


End file.
